The fulfilment which so many people increasingly derive from competitive sports and endurance training comes with a real - even if rare - twist. Because, while most people will enjoy the benefits and pleasures of exercise, there are a few for whom regular athletic training will increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias and even sudden death, especially among those in middle-age or with pre-existing cardiac diseases.

Multislice CT angiography may offer cardiologists a long-sought method for identifying athletes at risk of sudden cardiac death for congenital cardiac anomalies and other hidden heart conditions. Dr. Gianocarlo Savino and colleagues at the Catholic University Gemelli Hospital in Rome used 64-slice cardiac CT to diagnose suspected congenital cardiac abnormalities in 24 of 60 athletes with physical symptoms of heart disease.